CHAPTER XX.
The uncles, themselves grieving over the departure of their dear youngniece, were most kind to the bereaved brother and sisters; doing allthey could to comfort them, attending to the arrangements and expensesconnected with the funeral and the putting on of mourning by Ethel andBlanche.
Nor did they stop at that, but perceiving that the sisters were worn outwith the long nursing, and needed rest and change of scene, counselledthem to go away for a time, offering to bear for them all the expenseinvolved in so doing.
A very kind and sympathetic letter had been received from Mrs. Keithonly the day before, urging them to come to her for a few weeks, and nowthey decided to accept the invitation, closing their store and lettingtheir maid-of-all-work take a holiday also.
Harry went with them for a few hours' stay, then returned to hisbusiness, taking up his abode, for the time of their absence, in his oldhome at the house of their Uncle George.
It was at first something of a disappointment to Ethel and Blanche tofind that Mrs. Keith had other guests than themselves--her husband'ssister Mildred and her two daughters Marcia and Fanny--but a few hours intheir pleasant society more than reconciled them to this unexpectedaddition to the little party; both mother and daughters proving verykind, congenial, and sympathetic; listening with evident interest to theloving remembrances of Nannette indulged in by the sisters and Mrs.Keith and her Mary.
The girls grew very intimate, and Marcia and Fan talked a great dealabout their brothers Percy and Stewart and their cousin Stuart Ormsby,sometimes reading aloud portions of letters received from them. Theytalked of their home too, expressing a hope that some day Ethel andBlanche might visit them there, of their father, grandparents, and otherrelatives, in a way that showed them to be warm-hearted, affectionate,happy girls.
Industrious ones also they evidently were, very apt to have a bit ofwork of one kind or another on hand as they talked. Marcia had a decidedand well cultivated talent for drawing, and when out driving or walkingwould often be taking a sketch from nature; at other times drawingdesigns for engravers or patterns for manufacturers of dress goods, wallpapers, or carpets. Fan too employed much of her time in the same way,though her taste and talent seemed hardly so strong in those directionsas were her sister's, and she proved a help to her aunt and cousins inremodelling dresses and bonnets and fashioning new ones. Blanche had hersewing also, and Ethel some of the fine needlework taught her yearsbefore by Mrs. Coote. They could not forget their recent bereavement,and often when alone together their tears would fall as they thought ortalked of Nannette, rejoicing for her that she had safely reached thebetter land, but mourning for themselves that they would see her dearface no more upon earth.
Thus two weeks had passed and they were thinking of going home, when oneevening two young men walked in who proved to be Percy Landreth and hiscousin Stuart Ormsby. Their coming was a surprise to all, but theyreceived a joyful welcome. "I am very glad to see you, boys," their auntsaid when greetings had been exchanged all round; "that is if youhaven't come with the intention of taking sister Mildred and herdaughters away from us."
"I must confess that that was our design in part, Aunt Flora," returnedPercy, "and if you can't do without mother and my sisters we will gladlycarry you back with us; indeed be rejoiced to do so whether you feelprepared to spare them or not."
"That is right, Percy," said his mother. "I should like nothing betterthan to carry the whole family--from your uncle Don down to the baby backwith me and keep them there for a long visit. What do you say to it,brother?"
"Thank you kindly, Milly," Mr. Keith returned. "I should like dearlywell to accept your invitation, but cannot leave my business just atpresent, yet am willing to spare wife and children to you for a time, ifmother Weston will come and keep house for me while they are gone."
"She is not here now?" Percy said half enquiringly, and glancing aboutas if in search of her.
"No; she has been with one of her other daughters for some weeks past,"replied his uncle.
"Well," said Mrs. Keith, "let us just give ourselves up to the enjoymentof each other's society for to-night and settle all these questionsto-morrow or later. Now, lads, tell us all about the dear ones leftbehind you."
"Especially my dear old father and mother," added her husband.
"We left them and all the others quite well," replied Stuart Ormsby,"and were sent off with many injunctions to bring Aunt Mildred and thegirls back with us; also as many of you as we could prevail upon tocome."
With that the conversation became general, though Ethel and Blanche didlittle more than listen. Ethel was thinking with some concern that thehouse would surely be very full now, and wishing she had not delayed herreturn home. After a little she stole from the room, thinking she wouldat once make some preparation for departure early the next day; but Mrs.Keith had divined her thoughts, and followed her to her room.
"Ethel, dear," she said, putting an arm round the young girl's waist,"yours is such a tell-tale face that I know what you have been thinkingof since the arrival of our nephews. But you need not be troubled; thereis plenty of room for them and you and your sister also. There is a roomin the third story, which can be made very comfortable for thelads--especially compared with their quarters when in camp during thelate war--and I want you and Blanche to get well acquainted with them andknow what bright, good, promising young fellows they are."
"Dear Mrs. Keith, you are and always have been so very kind to us,though we never had the slightest claim upon you," returned Ethel,grateful tears shining in her eyes; "but our visit here has already beenlonger than we expected to make it when we came. Besides I know so largea family must cost a great deal in both work and money."
"Never you mind about all that," laughed Mrs. Keith; "we don't need tocount the pennies, and must always expect to pay in more ways than onefor the pleasures we have."
"Oh, please believe that I--I did not mean to be impertinent," stammeredEthel with a blush; "but I've had to count pennies almost ever since Ican remember, and it has made me feel very reluctant to use up those ofother people."
"My dear girl," said Mrs. Keith with a smile, "I'll forgive theimpertinence if you will promise to stay another week or two."
It did not take much persuasion to win Ethel's consent, for she dreadedgoing back to the home where Nannette was not, and that seemed sodesolate without her sunny presence.
The ten days or more that followed seemed to the young people to flyvery fast in each other's pleasant society, and by the end of that timetheir acquaintance had progressed beyond what it might in years of moreordinary intercourse. Percy and Ethel, Stuart and Blanche, felt thatthey knew each other well, had become mutually attached, and there was adouble betrothal and a looking forward to a double wedding when a yearor so should establish the young men more fully in business, increasingtheir means, and bring to the girls a feeling that the mourninggarments, now worn in memory of Nannette, might be willingly and withpropriety laid aside.
The relatives of the young men, including Percy's mother and sisters,were all pleased, for having for years heard a great deal of these younggirls, through their New Jersey relatives, they felt that they alreadyknew them well.
"Dear girl, I want you to feel that you are no longer motherless,"Mildred said, taking Ethel into a close, loving embrace when Percy hadtold his story, in the privacy of her own room, "for I shall be glad toclaim you as one of my daughters, as I am sure Percy's father will also;so that you must no longer feel yourself an orphan."
"Thank you, dear Mrs. Landreth. It will be, oh, so sweet, to have amother again," returned Ethel in low, tremulous tones, "though I do notfeel worthy of such an one as you."
"Quite as worthy as I am of such a daughter as yourself, dear girl,"Mildred said with a smile and another caress; "one who has shown herselfsuch a brave, capable, energetic little woman, preferring to earn herown living rather than to live idly dependent upon others."
"It is very, very kind in you to say th
at, dear Mrs. Landreth," returnedEthel with a blush and a smile. "I know there are many who would despiseme for having worked with my own hands for my daily bread, as do evensome of my own dear kindred."
"Well, dear girl, I should not let that trouble me, since God's commandis 'Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work,' and Paul bids us'Work with your own hands,' and again, 'This we command you, that if anywould not work, neither should he eat.' The Bible--and the Bible only--isour God-given rule of faith and practice."
"Yes, I have tried to make it mine," Ethel said, "and not to care forthe cold and scornful looks of those who despise others who labor withtheir hands. I must go back to my work to-morrow," she added with asmile, "for I have now been absent longer than was intended when we lefthome."
"And I am going with her, mother, to ask her uncles' consent. She thinksthey will give it without hesitation," he added with an admiring smileinto the eyes of his betrothed; "and should they not, I will tryargument and persuasion; which should be quite in a lawyer's line."
"Yes; but I hardly fear you will need to use much of either," repliedhis mother with a look that seemed to say anyone might be proud to claimrelationship to her boy.
But a gentle tap on the door of the room interrupted the conversation atthat moment, and at a quiet "Come in" from Mrs. Landreth, Stuart Ormsbyentered with Blanche upon his arm.
"We have come for your blessing, Aunt Mildred, as the nearestrepresentative of my father and mother," he said, turning a beaming faceupon her, "for this dear girl has promised to be mine; if her uncles donot object, which she assures me they will not. And, perhaps she willgive herself to me even if they should prove so unreasonable andunkind."
"Don't be too sure of that, Mr. Ormsby," said Blanche demurely; "oneshould show great respect for the opinions of one's elders. Do you notthink so, Mrs. Landreth?"
"Yes, dear child," returned Mildred, drawing the young girl to her andbestowing upon her a tender caress, "and I think we need scarcely fearto do so in this case; for my sister's son seems to his Aunt Mildredworthy to mate with the best and greatest lady in the land."
Stuart's eyes sparkled as he said heartily, "Many thanks, auntie; Icould not ask for a higher recommendation than that."
"Now," said Mildred, leading the way, "suppose we go downstairs and seewhat your Uncle Don and the other relatives here have to say about it."
Uncle Don had no objection to offer, nor did he or anyone else seemother than well pleased with the turn affairs had taken.
Ethel and Blanche returned home the next day accompanied by theirsuitors, who were not long in entering their plea with the uncles who,knowing all about them as relatives of the Keiths, and fellow-soldiersand intimates of their own sons during the last year of the war, at oncegave a hearty consent, and claimed the privilege and pleasure ofentertaining the young men during their stay of a day or two in the cityof brotherly love.
Ethel and Blanche were also persuaded to become for a few days theguests of their uncles, and it was only after the departure of Percy andStuart that they went back again to their own little home and reopenedtheir store.
Harry returned to them, and it was hard at first to feel that Nannettewould never again make one of the little family, yet gradually theylearned to do without her dear presence and to go cheerfully about theirdaily tasks--the care of house and store and the making up of garments,daintily adorned, for the trousseaus likely to be wanted for the comingyear.
Harry was not displeased at the prospect before his sisters, yet felt,and sometimes remarked, that their gain would be his loss. Hearing himtalk in that way one day, his Uncle George said:
"You must come back to your old home with us, my boy, when your sistersgo. And if that does not satisfy you, perhaps we may decide to open abranch house in their town and put you in charge of it."
"Oh, Uncle George, what a delightful idea!" exclaimed Blanche; "for thenall our little family would be together."
"And you won't miss your uncles at all," he returned half sadly, yetwith a faint smile, and laying a hand caressingly upon her shoulder asshe sat on the sofa by his side.
"Oh, uncle, yes; yes, indeed!" she answered earnestly, tears springingto her eyes, "you have been so very, very good to us. And oh, I shall besorry to leave Dorothy, who nursed Nannette so kindly and has been sucha lovely comforter and helper to us in all our sorrow and cares."
"Yes, Dorothy is a good, kind-hearted, helpful girl," he responded,"almost as dear to me as my own nieces; even the two who have no fatherto love and care for them."
"Dear uncle, it makes me feel very happy to hear you say you love Etheland me. I don't remember that ever you told me so before, though Ialways thought you did--at least a little bit," Blanche returned, hereyes shining, while she ventured to put an arm about his neck and touchhis cheek with her lips.
"A good big bit, my dear child," he said in reply, putting an arm abouther and returning her caress with interest. "I hope you will be veryhappy in the new home which that young man is getting ready for you, butthat you won't entirely forget your old uncles who have loved and triedto provide for their dead brother's children."
"Not dead, uncle dear, but only gone before to the better land," Ethelsaid in tones tremulous with emotion. "No, no, indeed; we could notpossibly forget you or Uncle Albert, who has been so very kind to us; ifwe could we ought to be considered the basest of ingrates."
"I agree with you there, Ethel," said Harry. "And Uncle George, I amdelighted with the idea you have advanced. I think I should like nothingbetter; and in case you decide to try the experiment I promise to do myvery best to make it a success."
"Well, my boy, I will talk to my brother about it. Ah, here he is," asat that moment Mr. Albert Eldon entered the room.
"What was that you were talking of as I came in?" he asked when he hadexchanged greetings with his nieces and taken an offered armchair.
At that his brother told of the suggestion he had made to Harry,concluding by asking his opinion of the matter.
"I think it might be very well to try it," returned Mr. Albert, "but wewill be better able to decide that question after learning more aboutthe place from Percy and Stuart; their fathers too, who will probably bethe better judges of the wisdom of such an undertaking."
"Very well, then, we will take the thing into consideration; and in themeantime let you, Harry, make the needed enquiries," said Mr. George;then turned the talk upon other topics, asking his nieces what was thetime fixed upon for the weddings.
"It is not fixed yet, uncle," replied Ethel with a blush and smile, "butwe talk of some day early in June."
"The month of roses!" he said. "There is no lovelier time in the year tomy thinking, and I hope weather and everything else may provepropitious. But what about the trousseau for each of you? Your UncleAlbert and I wish to provide that."
"Thank you very, very much, uncles!" exclaimed both the girls in abreath; "but we think you have already done more than we had any rightor reason to expect."
"Not more by any means than we are disposed to do for our dead brother'schildren," he replied, Mr. Albert adding, "No, nor nearly so much. Iwill give each a hundred dollars to be laid out in that way."
"And I will do the same," added their Uncle George, "and I want thedouble wedding to take place in my parlor, Albert and I dividing theexpense between us. We have talked it all over calculating the probablecost."
"Oh, how kind and generous you are, uncles!" exclaimed Ethel, her eyesfull of grateful tears; "but it will make so much work for----"
"No matter for that," interrupted her Uncle George with simulatedgruffness. "Mrs. Wood and Dorothy will be only too glad of theopportunity to make a grand display of refreshments and so forth, andwill enjoy seeing how the brides are dressed, how pretty they look, andhow they behave--with what modest grace they carry off their honors.Besides your Aunt Sarah wants to see the ceremony and cannot well getout to look upon it in any other place."
"And there is no place that I should like bette
r, uncle," said Blanche,her face beaming with pleasure. "It is my old home, where I was alwaysso kindly treated by you, and no other place could be more like afather's house for me to be married from."
"But mine I hope would not be less like a father's house to you,Blanche?" remarked Mr. Albert Eldon, looking affectionately into hereyes.
"No, uncle, dear, yours would be just about the same, for I cannot makeup my mind which of you I love the best," returned Blanche, giving tohim also a look of ardent affection. "I have only one regret in goingaway to my new home--that I must leave you two, and other dear relativesbehind."
"That is my case also," said Ethel, "but we will hope for many a goodvisit from the dear ones we must part from for a time when we go."
"And the visits must be returned," said Uncle Albert, "and you two beingso much younger than my good brother and I, must expect to give two toone."
"Yes, that would be only fair," said his brother. "Ah, Ethel, I hearthat my prospective nephews are making ready some pretty cages for theirbirds."
"They are both building, sir," replied Ethel with a smile and a blush;"but the cages are to accommodate themselves as well as their mates, andeach is to be a gift from the father of the future owner. They have sentus the plans, and we are delighted with them."
"They are submitted to us for any alteration we may desire to suggest,"added Blanche, "but we can think of scarcely any improvement. They areto be side by side, the gardens running together, and face the river,which we are told is a beautiful stream of clear, rapidly flowing water,the banks green to its very edge. And the houses of the parents of themale birds," she added with a merry laugh, "are less than a square away.Would you like to see the plans, uncles?"
The reply was a pleased assent from both, and she brought them. Theyexamined them with evident interest, making favorable comments, askingsome questions, and suggesting a few slight alterations which theythought would be improvements.
"Very desirable residences they seem likely to be," was Mr. GeorgeEldon's comment when they had finished their inspection, "and I trustthey will prove happy homes to my nieces."
"Ethel and I mean to try to make them such to their owners," remarkedBlanche with an arch look and smile. "Of course, having never seen theplace ourselves, we can only take the word of those who have as to thebeauty of the surroundings; but I feel sure I shall better enjoy gazingupon a beautiful, clear, swiftly flowing river, grass, flowers, andtrees, than upon brick pavements and white shutters, white marbledoorsteps and the like, so trying to the eyes."
"No doubt of it," said her Uncle Albert, "but life will have itstroubles and trials, whether it be passed in city or country. You mustnot expect paradise, even in a snug little home of your own with a kindhusband indoors, and clear flowing waters, flowers, and other lovelythings outside."
"No, I do not, uncle," she said laughingly, "yet I cannot divest myselfof the idea--the hope--that the contemplated change will be for thebetter, even if I have the troublesome charge of a man's happinesscommitted to my care; his happiness at least so far as a neat, well-kepthome and well-spread table can secure it."
"Well, my dear child, though not everything, they are a great deal to aman, and if you add a cheerful, sunny temper, and all needed care andattention to his comfort in other matters, I think he will be blessedwith a happy home and a wife whom he can respect and love, probably withincreasing affection as the years roll by, your own love for himincreasing also."
"You are looking very grave, Ethel," he added, turning to her, "do younot agree with me in the sentiments I have expressed?"
"Oh, yes, sir; yes, indeed!" she answered in earnest tones, "and I havea very ardent desire, a very determined purpose to do all in my power tomake a happy home for Percy--to be as good a wife and housekeeper as hismother is. I think there could not be a better, judging from all I haveheard from him and the relatives we were with this summer--and I amresolved to learn all I can on those subjects from her. I wish you andUncle George knew her, she is so lovely, so dear and good and kind. Oh,I think it will be delightful to be numbered among herdaughters--especially after having been so long motherless."
"Yes; I am glad for you, my dear," he said, then turning to her sister,"But you, Blanche, it seems have not seen your future mother-in-lawyet?"
"No, sir; but I am willing to risk the danger of finding herdisagreeable, for Stuart has assured me she is no less lovable than hisaunt, whom I like fully as much as Ethel does. Indeed _like_ is hardly astrong enough word to express my feelings for either her or herdaughters. I love them--all three of them--dearly."
"That is right," he said. "When do you give up here?" he asked, turningto Ethel. "Your year is out in April, is it not?"
"Yes, sir."
"And the wedding is to be in June. I want you to come to my house tospend the weeks that intervene. You can make your preparations there,having all the help you want from dressmakers and seamstresses."
"Don't take more than your fair share, Albert," said his brother; "apart of their time should be spent with us."
"But you are going to give the wedding. Ah, well! they may come and gobetween the two houses as may suit their convenience and inclination,and you must let me bear my share of all the expenses."
"Yes, brother, we will have an amicable settlement when all is over,"returned Mr. George as he rose to take leave, for it was nearingbedtime; and with an affectionate good-night to the nieces and nephewthe two took their departure.
"Who has kinder uncles than ours?" exclaimed Blanche, as the door closedupon them. "It fairly gives me a heartache to think of going where Ishall perhaps never see them again!" and she heaved a sigh which seemedto come from the bottom of her heart.
"Yes," sighed Ethel, "how few earthly pleasures there are that do notbring some sorrow with them. But oh! it will not be so in the betterland, for the Bible tells us there shall be no more death, sorrow,crying, or pain."
"And Nan is there; dear, dear Nan, so peaceful and happy! Oh, I am sureshe would not come back to earth if she could," said Blanche softly, andwiping away a tear.